Frances Griffin Coomes Richardson passed away peacefully on Friday, August 4th, 2017, three weeks to the day after her 105th birthday.  A native daughter of Henderson, Kentucky, she spent the last 10 years in Burbank, California.  She was a loving daughter, adventurous sister, supportive wife, compassionate mother, aunt, grandmother and great-grandmother.

She was born July 14, 1912 in a farmhouse in the Posey Chapel area of Henderson, Kentucky with her identical twin sister Elizabeth to parents Henry and Sue Griffin.  Frances and Elizabeth graduated from Barrett Manual Training High School together in 1930.  Frances recalled stories to her grandchildren and great grandchildren of riding a horse to school with up to five of her friends at a time, and living through the Great Depression ("we had no problems because if you didn't have anything to lose in the first place, you didn't miss anything").  Frances married her first husband James Tilford "Tip" Coomes in 1935.  They had three sons and were happily married for 35 years until his passing in 1970. Frances was later remarried to Leroy Richardson until his passing in 1985.

Frances worked as a dressmaker for both CBS and Shane dress factories, and for a period of time during World War II aided the war effort by working across the Ohio River in Evansville fabricating and riveting parts for the LST transport ships being built there.  Initially raised Presbyterian, she attended Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church with her first husband.  After his passing, she visited Holy Name periodically as well as attended the Presbyterian Church of Henderson.

She was a quilter and an afghan blanket maker, often asking her grandchildren their favorite colors at an early age, and then presenting them with a woven blanket in those same colors near their 16th birthdays. She was playful with her grandchildren and great grandchildren, teaching them how to shoot bottle rockets out of her hand during annual Independence Day celebrations, and later inviting them into fierce nickel-ante bingo games.

Frances and Elizabeth were inseparable until Elizabeth's passing at the age of 90.  Her son then returned from California to Henderson to live with her, and after 5 years convinced her to move to the west coast where his family resided.  Frances then lived with her son and daughter-in-law until she moved into the Evergreen Retirement Home in Burbank, California.  Frances remained an avid crossword fan right up until her death.

She is preceded in death by husbands "Tip" Tilford Coomes and Leroy Richardson, sisters Elizabeth Tompkins, Lila Griffin, Margaret Watson, and Virginia Springer, sons James Richard Coomes and Nathan Wayne Coomes, grandson Carl Christopher Coomes and granddaughter  Paula Leigh Coomes-Yarbrough

Frances is survived by one son, Kenneth Lee Coomes of Lake Forest, California and two daughter-in-laws, Edith Marie Sigler Coomes of Frankfort, Kentucky and Bonnie Jean Boldon Coomes of Lake Forest, California.  She also leaves granddaughters  Leslie Ann Coomes-Hill of Pearland, Texas, and Karen Lynn Coomes Aeillo of Germany, nephews Jackie Watson, Gilbert and Glenn Tompkins, niece Wilma Watson, grandsons Benjamin Tilford Coomes of Versailles, Kentucky, James Michael Coomes of Burbank, California and Robert Paul Coomes of Highland, California as well as great grandchildren Aaron, Mia, Ethan and Benjamin Coomes.

Visitation will be 1 p.m. to  2 p.m. Thursday, August 10, 2017 with funeral service to follow at Rudy-Rowland Funeral Home in Henderson, Kentucky.  Pallbearers are Ben, Aaron, James, and Ethan Coomes, and Gilbert and Glenn Tompkins.